One question I'm getting frequently from numerous friends and colleagues is why I'm hesitating to set up a movie-related production company.

Aside from manpower and funds to setup a production company, what I'm really worried about is I still haven't got a clear view on what my target audience wants to see from an animation movie.

American movie goers select movies to see, and the producer should please the taste of movie goers. I've got the some clues, but am not confident enough. For the past three years, I have seen some animation movies which failed to attract audiences, disappointing many staff involved in the productions.

What I like to make doesn't count at all, but ticket selling does the most. Making what I like to represent will satisfy my ego and might get some praises from film critics. Movie industry is an entertainment field to please people's senses. Only huge ticket selling and high profit count.

I searched for the difference of American and European and Japanese animations and its related industries and came to the conclusion that I should think about American market only which is what I want to be in. For all others, it has nothing to do with what I want to do.

There's very strong point in European and Japanese animations, but those are not my target markets. Quite a while, I searched a way to incorporate European art and aniamtion tradition into the flow animation industry here, only to find that animators can't change the taste of audiences. Audiences select movie.

It seems like last year and a half has evaporated just to find out that fact.

As of August 30, 1998, that is conclusive and I'll find a different approach.